Tag Archives: Facebook

Debating the “Facebook Firing”

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It’s hard to believe it’s taken this long to see this headline, isn’t it? In the Soundview editorial department, we’ve  been reading for some time the cautionary tales of the lack of privacy created by social media. Several business books have suggested to workers and managers alike that online overexposure of one’s private thoughts and personal activities could lead to potential problems in the workplace.

Now we’re presented with the case of Dawnmarie Souza, an employee of the Connecticut-based ambulance service American Medical Response. Souza is in the midst of a lawsuit that (I suppose) could be classed as a debate over wrongful termination. What makes the case interesting is that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is accusing American Medical Response of dismissing Souza for making derogatory remarks about her supervisor on Facebook. American Medical Response counters this claim by stating that Souza was terminated for “multiple, serious complaints about her behavior.”

According to the NLRB, employees have the right to discuss working conditions with other employees under the National Labor Relations Act. In its coverage of the case, The New York Times notes:

The board’s complaint prompted Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, a law firm with a large labor and employment practice representing hundreds of companies, to send a “lawflash” advisory on Monday to its clients, saying, “All private sector employers should take note,” regardless “of whether their work force is represented by a union.”

The firm added, “Employers should review their Internet and social media policies to determine whether they are susceptible to an allegation that the policy would ‘reasonably tend to chill employees’ ” in the exercise of their rights to discuss wages, working conditions and unionization.

I think the latter point is the important one for readers to remember. Employers and employees alike should review their Internet and social media policies. For companies that have yet to establish one, the case involving Souza should serve as a wake-up call to create such a policy. More and more companies are starting to realize that the workplace of tomorrow is here today.

For a more in-depth glimpse into the workplace of tomorrow, check out Soundview’s summary of The 2020 Workplace: How Innovative Companies Attract, Develop and Keep Tomorrow’s Employees Today by Jeanne Meister and Karie Willyerd. Visit Soundview at Summary.com to learn more.

Follow Soundview on Twitter: @businessbooks

Hitting the Red Carpet

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I’d love to tell you that this post is coming to you from the after-glow of an after-party, particularly one that followed the premiere of the new unauthorized Facebook bio pic The Social Network. This would be the ideal spot to post pictures of myself with the film’s stars and share soundbites of answers to witty questions such as, “So … if I asked you, would you friend me?” and “So … what’s the craziest thing someone has ever written on your wall?” Ahhh, I can almost taste that complimentary champagne before my limo whisks me off into the Hollywood night.

Instead, the only carpet upon which my feet have trod is the well-worn one that leads to my office. No matter! After all, if there’s one thing we’ve learned from the world of social media, it’s that the average blogger can achieve the same impact as a 30-year pro in the journalism business, and that includes the penchant for wild, unfounded speculation. When The Social Network hits theaters today, it should rocket straight to the top of the box office. After all, a service which has more than half a billion users should be able to provide just a few audience members for a movie of which the company itself does not approve.

I thought it was important to mention that The Social Network is in part based on a successful (if borderline scandalous) business book by Ben Mezrich: The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of  Facebook: A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal. If you click the link to the book, you’ll notice that it’s been re-released with a new cover and every author’s dream tagline: “Now a Major Motion Picture!”

Here’s something that may surprise you: The book upon which the movie is based should be taken with the infamous grain of salt. For a more in-depth (and less lurid) look at the founding of the world’s second most popular Web site, you may want to instead read David Kirkpatrick’s The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company that is Connecting the World.

Soundview covered both books in our exclusive FREE e-newsletter, Soundview Executive Book Alert. Don’t miss out on our coverage of new and hidden gems in the business book world. Visit Soundview’s Web site at Summary.com and click the tab marked “Free E-Newsletters” to sign up for all three of our FREE e-newsletters!

If you’re headed out the movies this weekend, don’t forget to come back and visit our blog so we can discuss what you thought about The Social Network. And don’t forget to follow Soundview on our Facebook page!

China, India … Facebook?

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Houston … we’ve reached Zeitgeist.

On Wednesday of this week, I read a few stories online about social networking site Facebook reaching 500 million users. Later that day, I watched ABC World News devote the bulk of an entire episode to the company. That evening, I went to a movie where one of the preview trailers was for the film The Social Network, a “based on a true story” account of the company’s founding. I devoted so much time that day to reading and hearing about Facebook that I was only able to check out Soundview’s Facebook page six or seven times.

All kidding aside, the social media site’s growth is awe-inspiring. Several like-minded media outlets wrote that if the site were a country, its population would make it the third largest on Earth. While everyone else is chipping in with their two cents about Facebook, we thought it was an opportune time to profile David Kirkpatrick’s new book The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World. You might be surprised at what we found out when we spent some time with this book.

Of course, the only place you’ll be able to see our exclusive coverage of The Facebook Effect is in the next edition of our e-newsletter Soundview Executive Book Alert. Never read it? It’s the best place to read reviews of books that are making waves, upcoming must-read titles, and books that may have escaped your radar. Here’s a link to a previous edition of Soundview Executive Book Alert.

Soundview Executive Book Alert is one of three e-newsletters currently offered at Summary.com. Best of all, they’re all FREE and you do NOT need to be a subscriber to read them. The Soundview Executive Book Alert featuring The Facebook Effect drops in less than 10 days. Sign up now and make sure you’re on the list!

Is Your Online Privacy a Concern?

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Every person who writes a blog shares a common understanding. Our audience is likely stopping by for a short time between visits to Facebook. The social media giant’s dominance in the lives of individuals of all ages has generated a seemingly endless stream of articles and commentary. One of the most common topics to arise about the site is the way Facebook (and social media in general) have eroded the standards of privacy. While often ascribed to the youngest group of users, the inability to fully comprehend the very public nature of social media continues to plague users at all levels. The fear-mongering elements of traditional media attempt to play up this misunderstanding with stories of robberies that occurred because thieves used Facebook to determine when homeowners were away.

I read a great Epicenter blog post (provided by our friends at WIRED magazine) about the privacy issues currently faced by Facebook. Ryan Singel, author of the post, makes some interesting arguments about the need to replace the social media powerhouse with something more open and distributed. He focuses on the desire for users to be able to exercise greater control of their privacy settings. He even goes so far as to point out companies that ran afoul of Facebook when they attempted to modify the user’s ability to control his or her privacy.

After reading the Epicenter blog, I was reminded of something Adam L. Penenberg mentioned in his book Viral Loop, a title that Soundview recently summarized. Penenberg noted that companies who experience the incredible burst of growth provided by viral loops have unique growing pains not experienced in traditional industries. The privacy problems that are currently rumbling beneath the surface among a select group of Facebook users are an excellent example of how viral growth creates its own issues.

Do you care about the data that Facebook makes public? Let me know your thoughts.

Anti Social Media, Anyone?

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I have a soft spot for USA Today. I know that as editor-in-chief of a business publication, I’m supposed to peer down my nose at the much-maligned “McPaper,” but let’s be honest, folks … If you’ve ever stayed in a hotel and found a copy under your door when you wake up, did you just leave it on the ground? Of course not!

So, when I spotted this article from USA Todayonline, it sparked an interesting conversation here in the editorial department. Business books on social media are flooding the market. Take a look for yourself by clicking here. A personal favorite is Groundswell, a book which we examined in a Featured Book Review last year. This book is notable because it was among the first to give an in-depth look at the impact of Web 2.0. What my colleagues and I were discussing is whether or not people have reached their limit with hearing about social media. Don’t get me wrong, we’re as addicted as everyone else to Twitter, Facebook and other sites. We’re not debating whether people are tired of using social media sites, it’s whether or not they’re tired of reading about them.

Generally speaking, by the time the number of titles about a time-sensitive subject reaches a few dozen, the subject might be wearing thin with readers. This is particularly true about any book that deals with technology. In our “here today, gone later today” world of innovation, book publishers occasionally have trouble keeping up with the pace at which technology changes. We struggle with it ourselves from time to time, and we have the good fortune of being able to publish a monthly product.

 I thought I’d toss this question out to you. Help turn the tide in this week’s great editorial debate. Are you interested in more coverage of books that deal with the business applications of social media? If so, reach out to us via one of our own social media sites. The links are listed above.

Or you can always go the traditional route and send us a comment via our Web site, Summary.com.